Director of Referees for Football Federation Australia, Mark Shield, has announced that he will not be renewing his contract beyond mid-September 2012.

In an email this morning to various stakeholders Shield advised that despite the satisfaction of being involved in football again, he has been lured away from the game by an "attractive" offer from another industry in a CEO position.

Mark will continue A-League and W-League preparations in his current position until mid-September.

No word is yet available on a replacement for the role.

Prior to the Queenslander's role with FFA he had been a partner in a telecommunications firm, and held a FIFA Referee badge from 1999 to 2008, and refereed at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups - at the former he set a record as the youngest World Cup Referee ever.